The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-12-08
HOW HE WAS ARRESTED.
The Curious Story that the Mobiles of An
niston, Tell.
Spccial to the Nc1U YORK. Sun.

! niston, Tell.
Special to the Nc,u York Sun.
ADMISSION, Alabama, Nov. 25.-Jeffer.
son Davis has had good many narrow
escapes, but one of them has never been
told in print, and the chief actor in the
affair has never cared to talk about it.
Somewhere along in the ffties the No.
bles, an English family residing in
Pennsylvania, decided to move south
ward. They selected Rome, Ga, as their
objective point and started on their. jour
ney, after making the necessary DISPOSE
ton of their goods.
The Mobiles had some family jewels
and about 81 900 in cash. How to carry
these yaluables safely bothered them not
little, but they packed the money and
jewels in an old fashioned, English hand
made chest and took them along. The
travellers landed at Charleston and took
the next train for their destination. Some
extra fare was demanded, and in paying
it, they had to open their chest and ex.
pose their treasure. Sharp eyes wcre on
the watch, and the glitter Of the contents
of the chest attracted attention.
AS matter of precaution, the chest
was confded to Miss Mary Noble, who
sat in secluded section Of the Car with
her back to the door. At Branchville, S.
G., two gentlemen boarded the train.
One vas young, wiry man, and the other
was tall and slender, past the meridian
oflife and of distir ~nished appearance.
When Augusta was reached the two
strangers went on to Atlanta, and the
Mobiles discovered that their precious
chest was missing. The conductor was
clamorously appealed to, and he instant,
ly gave it as his opinion hat "tbe one.
eyed man had stolen it."
"He's bad looking fellow" said the
conductor.
The chest had evidently been snatchcd
out of the rear window of the car, as the
suspected man took his departure at a
moment when Miss Mobiles attention was
fixed in some other direction.
After a consultation it was decided that
Mrs. Noble and Miss Mary should pro.
ceed to Atlanta and cause the arrest Of
the supposed thief, while Mr.. Noble and
the others remained in Augusta awaiting,
not very confidently, the result
Mrs. Noble succeeded in tracing the
two men TO their stopping place in Atlan-
ia, and identified them as soon as she saw
them. At her request they were arrested
and carried to police headquarters, where
the astonishing discovery was made that
the zone eyed man was President Pierces
secretary of war, Jefferson Davis, and his
companion was his private secretary.
Mr.. Davis was in good humor, and
of course the two gentlemen we're at once
released with many apologies.
Before leaving Mr. Davis told Mrs.
Noble and her daughter that he regretted
their loss, and he rendered them $4,000
in gold as an evidence of his sympathy.
Mrs. Noble declined to accept the gift,
but Miss Mary spoke up and said:
eyes, take it. That is some of our
money that the old rascal took p
Mr.. Davis smiled and pressed the
money upon Mrs. Noble, y 10 finally took
it, and carried it to her husband in Au.
gusta.
Suspicion was then directed to the con-
ductor, but his sudden death in the course
of few days stopped further investlga'
ton.
After the election of Mr.. Davis to the
presidency Of the Southern confederacy
Mr.. Noble, then prosperous contractor
visited him at Montgomery and talked
with him about manufacturing cannon.
Mr.. Davis asked him several questions
and then referred to the loss of the chest.
He introduced Mr.. Noble to Mrs. Davis
and told the story of the arrest. Mrs.
Davis laughed heartily over the incident
and with her husband took quite an in.
terest in the Mobiles from that time.
Noble went to work and made hun.
dreds of cannon for the Confederacy.
Later he founded and built up the -four.
ishing city of Admission in Alabama. In
the midst of his prosperity he is still
devoted to the zone eyed man" who was
once supposed to be the author of his
greatest misfortune.